1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video game system and a video game apparatus, either for executing a video-game soft program, thus enabling the user to play a video game. The invention relates to a method of controlling the video game apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home video games have been provided in various types. Among them are a motorcycle racing games and a car racing games. Another type of home video game is a roll-playing game, in which a character fight with the foe as the player operates a pad, buttons, a lever, or the like. Such a video game consists of xe2x80x9cstages.xe2x80x9d If the player clears a stage, he or she can play the next, more difficult stage. When the player clears the final stage, the video game is over.
With the home video game apparatuses hitherto known, the player can enjoy nothing but images and sound that change as the game proceeds. Even if the player successfully clears the final stage of the game or makes a high score, he or she cannot get a certificate at all.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a video game system and a video game apparatus, either designed to execute the video-game soft program read from a video-game program recording medium, thereby enabling the user to play the video game, and to change the parameter of the printer driver stored in a nonvolatile memory when a new printer is connected to the apparatus, thereby converting the contents to data that can be printed by the new printer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of controlling the video game system and the video game apparatus.
A video game system according to this invention is designed to execute a video-game software program read from a video-game program recording medium, to convert contents to print data and to print the print data. The video game system comprises a video game apparatus and a printer. The video game apparatus comprises: video-game software program reading means for reading the video-game software program from the video-game program recording medium, said video-game software program comprising a video-game program, contents data and printer driver for printing the content data; a nonvolatile memory storing a printer driver comprising a common engine module for processing data about the progress of the game, irrespective of the type of the printer used, a device engine module for processing the data in a particular manner specific to the type of the printer used, and a data-reading module for reading the data about a printer of an unknown type; parameter-changing means for acquiring printing parameter specific to the printer of an unknown type, when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video-game software program reading means and for changing the parameter of the device engine module, which are stored in the nonvolatile memory, in accordance with the print parameter acquired; and printing control means for reading the printer driver from the nonvolatile memory, for acquiring printing parameter from the printer by the use of the data-reading module when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video-game software program reading means, for changing the parameter of the device engine module in accordance with the printing parameter acquired, for converting the print contents data read from the recording medium by the video-game software program reading means to print data, by the use of the printer driver, and for outputting the print data through a printer-connecting terminal. The printer prints the print data supplied from the video game apparatus.
A video game apparatus according to the invention is designed to execute a video-game software program read from a video-game program recording medium, to convert contents to print data and to print the print data. The video game apparatus comprises: video-game software program reading means for reading the video-game software program from the video-game program recording medium, said video-game software program comprising a video-game program, contents data and printer driver for printing the content data; a nonvolatile memory storing a printer driver comprising a common engine module for processing data about the progress of the game, irrespective of the type of the printer used, a device engine module for processing the data in a particular manner specific to the type of the printer used, and a data-reading module for reading the data about a printer of an unknown type; parameter-changing means for acquiring printing parameter specific to the printer of an unknown type, when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video-game software program reading means and for changing the parameter of the device engine module, which are stored in the nonvolatile memory, in accordance with the print parameter acquired; and printing control means for reading the printer driver from the nonvolatile memory, for acquiring printing parameter from the printer by the use of the data-reading module when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video-game software program reading means, for changing the parameter of the device engine module in accordance with the printing parameter acquired, for converting the print contents data read from the recording medium by the video-game software program reading means to print data, by the use of the printer driver, and for outputting the print data through a printer-connecting terminal.
A method of controlling a video game apparatus, according to the present invention comprises: reading the video-game software program from a video-game program recording medium, said video-game software program comprising a video-game program, contents data and printer driver for printing the content data; storing a printer driver into a nonvolatile memory, said printer driver comprising a common engine module for processing data about the progress of the game, irrespective of the type of the printer used, a device engine module for processing the data in a particular manner specific to the type of the printer used, and a data-reading module for reading the data about a printer of an unknown type; acquiring printing parameter specific to a printer of an unknown type, when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video game apparatus, and changing the parameter of the device engine module in accordance with the print parameter acquired; and converting the print contents data read from the recording medium to print data, by the use of the printer driver, and printing the print data.